Multi-stage epicyclic printing mechanism



Oct. 26, 1965 E. MATHURlN 3,213,786

MULTI-STAGE EPICYCLIC PRINTING MECHANISM Filed June 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI EDWARD L. MATHURIN HIS ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 26, 1965' E. MATHURIN MULTI-S'IAGE EPICYCLIC PRINTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1962 R o T N E V N EDWARD L. MATHURIN BY (FF *4 fl k HIS ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 26, 1965 Filed June 29, 1962 E. L. M ATHUR|N 3,213,786

MULTI-STAGE EPICYCLIC PRINTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PIC-3.6.

QIIIIIIIIII; 'I/III INVENTORZ EDWARD L. MATHURIN BY m l HIS ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 26, 1965 E. MATHURIN 3, ,7 6

$TAGE EPI CLI Filed June 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN I EDWARD L. MA URIN Oct. 26, 1965 E. L. MATHURIN 3,213,786

MULTI-STAGE EPICYCLIC PRINTING MECHANISM Filed June 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORZ EDWARD L. MATHURIN HIS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,213,786 MULTI-STAGE EPICYCLIC PRINTING MECHANISM Edward Landais Mathurin, San Jose, Calif., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N .Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,334 17 Claims. ((31. 10191) The present invention relates to printing, and pertains more particularly to a mechanism for performing a plurality of successive printing operations upon a blank, such as a ticket blank, while the latter is carried in successive cycles along a closed path past a plurality of printing stations, the blank being advanced one station during each successive cycle.

In many businesses large quantities of tags and tickets are employed, and it frequently is desirable to print such tickets in a plurality of colors, or with a plurality of different indicia, or both.

The present invention provides a ticket printing mechanism wherein a ticket blank is fed onto a platen provided peripherally of a rotatively mounted carriage, which rolls in successive cycles around the interior of a surface defined by a plurality of successive printing stations, the movement of the carriage being continued through successive cycles until it has made one complete revolution about its own axis, at which time each printing station will have performed a separate printing operation upon the ticket blank, after which the completed ticket is ejected from the mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide ticket printing apparatus of compact size and light weight.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for printing tickets of small size and with overlapping print areas.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for printing a large amount of information in successive stages on a relatively small ticket.

A further object of the invention is to provide ticket printing apparatus for printing in successive stages different and/or overlapping areas of a relatively small ticket.

A further object of the invention is to provide high speed ticket printing apparatus having a plurality of successively encountered print stations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ticket printing mechanism having a plurality of printing stations, the type faces of which define a curved, closed surface, the printing stations being spaced apart circumferentially along such surface, a ticket blank feeding station and a ticket discharge station being also provided along such surface, and a ticket blank supporting platen and an inking pad being provided on a carriage mounted to move in an epicyclic path along such surface, whereby the inking pad and a ticket blank on the platen are presented successively to said stations as the carriage moves through successive epicycles along such path.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a multi-stage printing mechanism having a rotatively mounted carriage, which carries a ticket blank and an inking pad in successive cycles along a closed path past a plurality of printing stations, whereby to ink the printing stations successively, one at a time, and, with a lag of one cycle, to present the ticket blank successively to the printing stations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved, multi-stage ticket printing mechanism.

The foregoing, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodi- BQZiBJdfi Qe Patented Get. 26, 1965 ment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompany 'ing drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front, elevational view of the principal operative portions of a ticket printing mechanism embodying the present invention, portions thereof being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the left hand side of the principal operative portions of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1, portions being broken away, most of the supporting frame on the near side thereof being omitted to disclose operative portions of the mechanism.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, portions being broken away.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, portions being shown in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the left hand side of the mechanism of FIG. 1, most of the frame being omitted for the purpose of disclosing operative portions of the mechanism, the printing stations being shown diagrammatically, and portions being broken away.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along line 66 of FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the two wire ticket retaining clips for the platen.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 5, portions being broken away.

' FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the carriage taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 5, the shaft upon which the carriage is mounted and the epicyclic gear cluster being omitted.

FIGS. 1017 are diagrammatic views of the illustrated ticket printing mechanism embodying the present invention during successive stages of the four complete cycles of the carriage as it rolls along the curved surface de fined by the type faces of the printing stations.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the principal operative portions of the illustrative mechanism, the frame structure being omitted to disclose these operative portions and their relative positions and functions.

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view showing the geometry involved in the operation of the carriage and its surrounding structure.

Prior to entering upon a detailed description of the mechanism employed in the present illustrative embodiment of the invention, the general arrangement and operation of the mechanism will first be described briefly with reference to FIG. 5, the diagrammatic views of FIGS. 10-17 and 19.

The illustrated form of the invention comprises a ticket printing mechanism A, having an inner platen and inking pad supporting carriage B, and an enclosing structure C. The latter is provided with three printing stations 10, 11 and 12, with the type faces thereof directed inwardly and defining a cylindrical surface.

The carriage B is mounted for rotation about its own axis on the throw of a crank 22, and is provided with a platen 14 and inking pad 15, both of which are curved co-axially to the axis of carriage rotation. Means are provided to drive the carriage B so as to, in effect, roll it in successive cycles along the cylindrical surface defined by the type faces of the printing stations, and within the enclosing structure C, to thereby perform a plurality of successive printing operations on a ticket blank 13 supported on the platen 14, one for each such cycle.

The enclosing structure C is provided, in addition to the three printing stations 10, 11 and 12, with a ticketblank feeding station 17, and a ticket discharge station 18. The five stations thus provided on the enclosing structure C are located in substantially equal, segmental,

fifth portions thereof, and the printing stations are spaced circumferentially from each other by substantially equal intervals as to 19, FIG. 10.

The geometry of the carriage B and its enclosing structure C is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 19. In this figure an inner circle B represents an end view of the cylindrical surface defined by the outer face of a ticket blank 13 on the ticket platen 14 and the inking pad 15 on the carriage B. This inner circle B is within, and tangent to, an outer circle C, which represents an end view of the cylindrical surface defined by the inner type faces of the three printing stations 10, 11 and 12 of the enclosing structure C.

The circumference of the inner circle B is four-fifths that of the outer circle C, and is divided into four equal quadrants identified by the reference numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each inner circle quadrant, in turn, is divided into a larger sub-segment designated by the number of its quadrant with the sufiix a, and a smaller sub-segment similarly designated, but with the sufiix b. The larger sub-segments are all equal to each other, as are also the smaller sub-segments. The two solid line, larger sub-segments 1a and 4a of this inner circle B of FIG. 19 represent, respectively, the ticket platen 14, and the inking pad 15, while the broken line, smaller, sub-segment 1b therebetween represents the space separating these two portions of the carriage.

The outer circle C is divided into five equal main segments a, b, c, d and e, each comprising a larger, solid line sub-segment designated by the number of its main segment with the sufiix l, and a smaller, broken line, sub-segment, similarly designated and with the suffix 2. The solid line sub-segment of the larger, outer circle C represent, respectively, the five stations 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 of the enclosing structureC, while the broken line sub-segments of this outer circle C of FIG. 19 represent s aces between the adjacent stations.

Since, as mentioned previously herein, the circumference of the inner circle B is equal to four-fifths that of the outer circle C, each quadrant of the inner circle B is equal in length to one of the five main segments of the outer circle C. Also, the respective larger and smaller sub-segments of the inner circle B are equal in length to the corresponding sub-segments of the outer circle C.

The inner circle B is assumed to be pivoted on a crank arm 22 .to roll the inner circle B, without slippage, along the interior of the larger circle C, as indicated by the curved arrow adjacent the crank 22 in FIG. 19. When this occurs, starting from the position of the parts shown in FIG. 19, the four quadrants 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the inner circle B, will register successively with the first four main segments a, b, c and d of the outer circle C. Continuing this epicyclic movement to complete a first complete revolution of the crank 22, the first quadrant 1 of the inner circle B next registers with the fifth, or final main Segment e of the outer circle C.

Thus, upon successive cycles of rolling movement of the inner circle B around the interior of the larger circle C, the inner circle quadrants regress one quadrant per cycle, relative to the five main segments of the outer circle, until, upon the completion of four such complete epicycles, the inner circle B will have completed one revolution about its own axis, and the first quadrant 1 of the inner circle B will have returned to its original starting position relative to the first main segment a of the outer circle C, as shown in FIG. 19. Thus, a ticket blank on the platen 14 will have been rolled without relative slippage across each of the five stations 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18 during these successive cycles of rolling movement of the carriage B around the interior of the cylindrical surface C defined by the type faces of the printing stations 10, 11 and 12.

Before entering into a description of the structural details of the mechanism, the following brief summaryv explains its nature and sequence of operation. Referring to FIG. 5 and to the diagrammatic views of FIGS. 10-17, the parts of the mechanism A are shown in FIGS. 5 and 10 in the positions they occupy upon the completion of each multi-stage ticket printing operation of the mechanism, and prior to the start of each new operation thereof.

During each four cycle ticket printing operation, the carriage B is driven rotatively, in a counter-clockwise direction about its own axis 20, while being carried at a timed, relative speed in a clockwise orbit upon the throw or crank pin 21 (FIG. 4) of the crank 22 upon which the carriage B is journaled. The relative rotative speeds of the carriage B and the crank 22 are such as to, in effect, roll the carriage B without relative slippage along a closed path within the cylindrical surface defined by the inwardly directed, co-axially curved type faces of the three printing stations 10, 11 and 21. Four complete cycles of the carriage B along this path comprise one complete, multi-stage, ticket printing operation of the mechanism A. Successive important stages of this fourcycle, multi-stage operation are shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 10-17.

In each of the successive views of the drawings from FIGS. 11 to 17, a heavy, curved, dot-dash arrow shows the angle of rotative movement of the crank 22 from its position in the preceding figure, while in FIGS. 12-17 the lighter, curved, dot-dash arrows shoW the cumulation of such movements from its starting position in FIG. 10.

Just before the carriage B begins its movement along its epicyclic path from its starting position of FIG. 10 to that of FIG. 11, a required length of ticket stock 23 to form a ticket blank 13 is fed out by one-revolution feed rolls 24 onto the platen 14. As the carriage B arrives at its position of FIG. 11 a shear blade 25 on the carriage B, cooperating with a shear blade 27 on the enclosing structure C, severs a ticket blank 13 therefrom. During this rolling movement of the carriage B from FIG. 10 to FIG. 11 the inking pad 15 rolls across 'the inwardly exposed type faces of .the first printing station 10.

As the carriage B continues its rolling movement along its path from its position of FIG. 11 to its position of FIG. 12, the inking pad 15, which was being rolled across the first printing station 10 in its movement from FIG. 10 to FIG. 11, is, in FIG. 12, due to the relative regression of the carriage B explained previously herein in connection with FIG. 19, being rolled across the second printing station 11.

In FIG. 13 the inking pad 15 has rolled across the second printing station 11, and the ticket blank 13 on the platen 14 is in the process of being rolled across the type of the first printing station 10 to thereby imprint the type data of that station on the ticket blank 13.

As the carriage B continues along its path to its position of FIG. 14, the inking pad 15 is in the process of being rolled across the third printing station 12.

In FIG. 15 the inking of the third printing station 12 has been completed, and the ticket blank 13 is about to be rolled across the second printing station 11 for imprinting the type data of that station thereon.

In FIG. 16 the prinuting of the ticket by the third and final printing station 12 is being accomplished.

As the movement of the carriage B continues through another Vs of a revolution of the crank 22 from its position of FIG. 16 to its position of FIG. 17, the ticket 13 now completed, is presented to a continuously driven discharge belt 28 in the discharge station 18, whichfrictionally removes the ticket from the platen 14 and propels it endwise through a discharge chute 26 provided therefor. The carriage B is now in its fourth and final cycle, and upon the completion of this fourth cycle the carriage will have returned to its starting position of FIG. 10, where it will be stopped, ready for a repetition of the above described operation.

While the presently illustrated and described embodiment of the invention employs three printing stations, the

actual number of such stations employed may be varied from two upwardly as required. In the event that the invention is required to be embodied in a mechanism with two printing stations, for a total of four stations including the blank feeding and discharge stations, the crank actuating gearing will then have a ratio of 4 to 3, and a three revolution cycle of the carriage crank will be employed. With four printing stations a six to five gear ratio is employed, and a five revolution crank cycle, with five stations, a seven to six gear ratio and six revolutions, and so on. In each such case, the ratio of the circumferences of the inner and outer circles will correspond to that of their gear ratio, the number of revolutions of the crank will be that of the smaller ratio number. Also, the stations on the enclosing structure and the platen and ink pad on the carriage will be arranged in segments, and the carriage will regress one segment per epicycle, all in the manner set forth in the present specification and drawings.

Referring now to the structural features of the illustrated form A of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1-9 and 18, the rotary carriage B comprises a cylindrical hub portion 29 journaled on bushings 30, one of which is shown in FIG. 4, on the throw or crank pin 21 (FIG. 4) of the crank 22. An integral, cupped, co-axial flange 31 (FIGS. 1, 4, 9 and 18) is provided on one end of the carriage hub 29 for co-axial connection by screws 32 (FIG. 4) to a ring gear 33. A pair of similar, parallel, laterally opposite, segmental webs 34 and 35 project radially from the carriage hub 29. Each of these webs 34 and 35 has a notch 37 (FIG. 5) medially of its periphery. The cylindrically curved platen 14 and a support 38 for the inking pad 15 are secured, as by screws 39 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 9), co-axially of the hub 29, transversely across the radially outward ends of these webs, and on opposite sides of the notches 37 therein. The ticket platen 14 has a narrow channel 40 along each side thereof, and within each of these channels are journaled three small rollers 41, substantially flush with the outward face of the platen 14. These rollers underlie the marginal portions of the ticket blank engaged by the ticket discharge belts 28 when the ticket is discharged from the machine.

Each ticket blank 13 is retained on the platen 14 by a pair of similar, but reversed, wire clips 42 and 43. Each of these wire clips comprises a pair of legs 44 and 45, which (FIGS. 5, 8 and 9) are retained in radially adjusted position on the platen 14 by a pair of screws 47 and 48 (FIGS. 5 and 8). Each of the clips 42 and 43 also has a curved intermediate portion 49 which is offset axially inwardly of each channel 40 by reversely bent end portions 50 and 51, and conforms to the curvature of the platen 14. The end portion of each clip 42 and 43 toward the direction from which the strip of ticket blank stock 23 is fed onto the platen is bent outwardly at 52 (FIGS. 5 and 7) to guide this stock beneath the clips at the beginning of each ticket printing cycle.

The shear blade 25 (FIGS. 5 and 8) is secured by screws 53 across the radial end face of the platen 14 from which the ticket material is received, and cooperates with the second shear blade 27 aifixed to the enclosing structure C for severing a ticket blank from the strip of ticket blank stock (FIG. 5) after a required length thereof has been fed onto the platen. This shearing action occurs in each operative cycle of the mechanism A as the carriage B is advanced along its epicyclic path from its starting position shown in FIGS. 5 and to that shown in FIG. 11.

The outer face of the inking pad support 38 is spaced radially inwardly from the cylindrical surface defined by the outward face of the platen 14 by approximately the thickness of the inking pad 15. The latter comprises a cylindrically curved pan portion 54 of a size and shape to fit snugly onto the support 38, and a pad 55 secured in the pan portion. This pad may be of suitable ink pad material, for example, a porous plastic material impregnated with printing ink sold under the trade name Porelon. Since many suitable types of inking pads are well 6 known to those familiar with the printing arts it is not necessary to set forth the details thereof herein.

The pan portion 54 is provided on its ends with spring clip fingers 57 (FIGS. 5 and 6), which have releasable, latching engagement with the ends of the inking pad support 38 to retain the inking pad 15 in position thereon. These spring fingers permit the ink pad to be easily removed and replaced by a fresh one as required. By using a thus disposable ink pad, the employment of ink feeding means such as ink rolls and ribbons is avoided, and a much simpler mechanism is achieved. Obviously, if ink feeding means were desired, in order to avoid having to replace the ink pad from time to time, such means may be easily provided by any ordinarily skilled designer or engineer in accordance with conventional practice.

The carriage hub 29, which, as mentioned previously herein, is journaled on the throw or pin 21 of the crank 22, is rotatably driven about its own axis upon rotation of the crank 22 by gearing 58 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 18). The crank 22 itself is driven by a four-revolution clutch mechanism to be described in detail later herein.

The driven end of the crank 22 comprises a shaft portion 59 (FIG. 1) journaled in a ball bearing 60, which in turn is mounted in a hole provided therefor in a fixed frame member 61. A radial crank arm 62 is fixedly secured to one end of the shaft portion 59, and one end of the throw pin 21 of the crank 22 is fixedly secured to this arm 62, parallel to the shaft portion 59, and spaced radially therefrom by a distance to provide the required epicyclic movement of the carriage B referred to previously herein.

The other end of the crank throw pin 21 from the arm 62 is fixedly inserted in a gear cage 63 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) in which is mounted the gearing 58 which provides the rotative drive for the carriage B upon rotation of the crank 22. The gear cage 63 in turn is journaled, by means of a ball bearing 64 (FIGS. 4 and 5) on the shaft 65 of a fixed gear 67. The gear shaft 65 is mounted (FIG. 1) co-axially with the driven crank shaft portion 59, in a hole provided therefor in a cap member 68 fixedly secured to a member 69 of the frame B, and is retained against rotative movement by a through-pin 70. Thus, the gear cage 63 is, in effect, an integral part of the crank 22, and rotates with it.

The gear cage 63 has an integral, radially extending projection 71 thereon, and a gear stud 72 (FIG. 4) is fixedly secured, axially parallel to the gear shaft 65, in a hole provided therefor in this projection. A double gear 73 is journaled on the stud 72, and the smaller gear portion 73a thereof is in mesh with the fixed gear 67, and orbits around it upon rotation of the crank 22. The other, larger gear portion 73b of this double gear 73 is in mesh with the ring gear 33 secured co-axially to the carriage hub flange 31. The relative sizes of these four gears 33, 73a, 73b and 67 are in a final ratio of four to one, so that upon each complete rotation of the crank 22, the carriage B will be driven in a counter-rotative direction one-fourth of a revolution about its own axis 20.

The drive mechanism for the illustrated form A of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and :5, and more clearly, but somewhat diagrammatically, in FIG. 18. In this illustrated drive mechanism, a suitable electric motor 74, by means of toothed pulleys 77 and 78, and a timing-type belt 79, drives a countershaft 80. A second timing-type belt 81, passing around a toothed pulley 86 on the other end of the countershaft from the pulley 7 8, drives a toothed pulley 82 on a shaft 83 having a gear 84 secured thereto. The gear 84 is in mesh with a similar gear 85 secured to a shaft 87 having a pair of grooved, discharge belt pulleys 88 afiixed thereto.

The ticket discharge belts 28 are passed around these grooved pulleys 88, and also around other grooved idler pulleys 92 and 93 provided on a pair of shafts 94 and 95 parallel to the shaft 87. The ticket discharge belts 28 are positioned to closely overlie the rollers 41 flush-mounted in the channels 40 on opposite sides of the platen 14, so that as the carriage B approaches the end of its fourth and final epicycle of each printing cycle of the mechanism A, and the platen 14 arrives at the discharge station 18, the completed ticket thereon is frictionally engaged by the belts 28 as shown in FIG. 17. These belts engage the marginal portions of the ticket supported by the rollers 41 laterally beyond the printed area of the ticket, and propel the completed ticket endwise out through the discharge chute 26, which is mounted on the structure C to receive it.

Referring now to the drive mechanism on the left hand side of the mechanism A as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 18, this drive mechanism provides, upon each triggering thereof, for an initial feeding of a required length of the ticket stock 23 onto the platen 14, followed by four complete revolutions of the crank 22, thereby to complete one complete printing cycle of the mechanism A.

The triggering means for initiating each such ticket printing cycle comprises an electro-magnet 98, with the armature 99 thereof positioned to have endwise, arresting engagement with a dog 100 secured to the control tube 101 of a first, conventional, torque-release type clutch 102. This clutch 102 is mounted co-aXial-ly within a toothed pulley 103, which is driven continuously during operation of the machine A by a timing type belt 104. The latter passes around this pulley 103 and also around a similarly toothed pulley 106 secured to the constantly rotating countershaft 30. The torque-release clutch 102 is of a well known type, which is released by the application of a counter-rotative force applied to the tubular portion 101 thereof. Since such clutches are well known, for example those sold under the trade mark Formsprag, and are not, per se, a feature of the present invention, the details thereof are not illustrated or described herein.

Upon each momentary energization of the electro-magnet 98, the armature 99 thereof is drawn inwardly to thereby release the dog 100. Release of the latter allows the clutch 102 to provide clutch engagement between the constantly rotating pulley 103 and a clutch shaft 105, whereupon the latter, together with the clutch control tube 101 and dog 100, rotate through one complete revolution. Prior to the completion of this single revolution of these parts, the electro-magnet 98 is d e-energized, so that upon completion of said revolution the armature 99 again engages the dog 100 and thereby provides the torque necessary to release the clutch 102 and free the clutch shaft from the pulley 103.

A gear 107 is secured to the opposite end of the one revolution clutch shaft 105 from the dog 100, and this gear 107 is in mesh with a second, similar gear 108. This second gear 103 is secured co-axially to one end of the feed roll shaft 109 having the one-revolution ticket stock feed rolls 24 (FIGS. and 18) mounted thereon. The circumference of each feed roll 24 is equal to the length of ticket stock 23 to be fed onto the platen 14 at the beginning of each operative cycle of the mechanism A. A pair of presser rolls 110 are mounted on an idler shaft 111 to bear against the ticket feed rolls 24 and to grip the ticket stock 23 therebetween.

A bell crank lever 112 is pivotally mounted at 113 (FIGS. 1 and 2) on a member 116 (FIG. 1) of the frame D. A leaf spring 115 is secured co-extensively, by rivets 117, to an arm 118 of the bell crank lever 112, and is provided with a lateral offset 119 therein so as to clear a pawl 120, which is pivotally mounted in a notch 121 provided therefor in the outer end of the bell crank lever arm 113. A light coil spring 122, connected in tension between the lower end of this pawl 120 and the lower arm 123 of the bell crank lever 112, biases the pawl 120 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 18. The inner end of the notch 121 limits the swing of the pawl 120 under the tension of this spring 122 to a desired position for engaging a dog 124 on the clutch control tube 125 of a second torque releasing clutch 127, which controls the rotation of the carriage crank 22.

Prior to the initiation of each operating cycle of the ticket printing mechanism A, the free end of the leaf spring is at rest on the high point of a single high point cam 128, secured to a rotary cam shaft 129, and in this position the leaf spring 115 urges the bell crank lever 112 rotatively in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2.

This biasing effect of the leaf spring 115 when on the high point of cam 128 urges the end of the lower arm 123 of the bell crank lever 112 inwardly toward the peripheral face of a rise-fall cam 130, which is secured to the one revolution feed roll shaft 109, and also urges the pawl carried by the bell crank lever 112 upwardly toward arresting engagement with the dog 124 on the control tube 125 of the second torque-releasing clutch 127 for the carriage crank 22. This second torque-releasing clutch 127 is similar to the clutch 102 referred to previously herein, and is mounted co-axially within a toothed pulley 131, which is constantly driven during operation of the machine A by a timing type belt 132, which also passes around a toothed pulley 133 secured to the countershaft 80. Each single rotation of the rise-fall cam 130 with each rotation of the feed roll shaft 109 upon which it is mounted, gradually urges the lower end of the lower bell crank lever arm 123 riding thereon radially outwardly, thereby swinging the bell crank lever 112 in a counter-clockwise direction, and moving the nose of the pivoted pawl 120 downwardly to finally clear the dog 124 on the clutch control tube 125. Release of the dog 124 by the pawl 120 frees the second clutch 127 for clutch engagement between the constantly driven pulley 131 and the carriage crank 22.

For turning the single high point cam 128 at one fourth the speed of the carriage crank 22, a small gear 134 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 18) is secured co-axially to the crank shaft 59, and is in mesh with a larger gear 135 secured co-axially to a shaft 129 of the single high point cam 128. The ratio of the smaller gear 134 to the larger gear 135 is one to four, so that each four revolutions of the carriage crank 22 causes one complete revolution of the larger gear 135, and the single high point cam 128 mounted on the shaft 129.

For preventing back lash or bounce of the dog 124 upon its engagement with the pawl 120, an anti-backlash pawl 137 (FIGS. 2 and 18) is pivotally mounted on a stationary pin 138, and is urged by a rat-trap type spring 139 (FIGS. 2 and 18) toward operative engagement with a dog 140 secured co-axially to the clutch release tube 125. This anti-back-lash pawl 137 ratchets over the dog 140 during each of the first three revolutions of its four revolution cycle of operation, and upon the completion of the fourth revolution of said cycle it engages this dog 140 of the clutch release tube 125 and prevents any counter-rotative movement or bounce thereof.

The type structures of the three printing stations 10, 11 and 12 of the enclosing structure C are herein illustrated as curved, cast, type plates, which may be similar to those commonly employed in rotary presses, but with the type faces thereof facing inwardly and defining a substantially cylindrical surface co-axial with the carriage crank 22. Actually, a much more sophisticated type structure is contemplated, and several alternate arrangements such as, for example, those employed in cash registers and computers, may readily be provided by the exercise of the ordinary skill of those familiar with the art. Also, the improvement of type and type handling mechanisms for use in the printing stations of mechanisms embodying the present invention will probably be a field for future invention. However, the type structure per se forms no part of the present invention, and the simple plate arrangement illustrated provides for a complete disclosure of the invention without unnecessarily complicating the present drawings and specification.

The operation of the illustrative ticket printing mechanism A is as follows:

It is assumed that a ticket printing cycle of the mecha- 9 nism A starts with the parts at rest, and in their positions illustrated in FIGS. and 10. The motor 74 is running, and is continuously driving the countershaft 80. The latter continuously drives the three belts 81, 104 and 132, and the first of these belts, through the reversing gears 84 and 85 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 18) continuously drives the ticket discharge belts 28.

The two belts 104 and 132 on the left hand side of the machine, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 18, continuously drive their respective, toothed, clutch pulleys 103 and 131, but the torque releasing clutches 102 and 127 of these pulleys are normally held in their torque-released positions by their respective dogs 100 and 124, which are engaged by the armature 99 and 120, respectively.

To trigger a ticket printing operation, the electromagnet 98 is energized by closing a switch 141 (FIG. 18) thereby completing an electrical circuit through a battery 142 and the coil 143 of the electro-magnet 98, thereby drawing the armature 99 inwardly clear of the dog 100. This release of the dog 100 removes the clutch disengaging torque from the torque or control tube 101 upon which the dog is mounted, and thereby allows the clutch 102 to become engaged to provide clutch, driving engagement between the constantly rotating pulley 103 and the shaft 105. It also, as is the nature of these clutches, rotates the torque tube 101 and the dog 100 thereon with it. As the dog 100 rotates clear of the free end of the armature 99, the electro-magnet 98 is tie-energized by opening the switch 141, and this frees the armature 99, which is thereupon again ready to engage the dog 100 to disengage the clutch 102 as the dog 100, the torque tube 101, and the clutch shaft 105 complete their single, common revolution.

During such single revolution of the shaft 105, the gear 107 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 18) thereon drives the similar gear 108 on the feed roller shaft 109 in a reverse direction through one complete revolution. The circumference of the feed rollers 24 being, as mentioned previously herein, equal to the length of a desired ticket blank 13, this single revolution of the feed rollers 24 feeds a required length of ticket stock 23 between the feed rollers 24 and their associated presser rollers 110 and onto the ticket platen 14, guided in such movement by the wire clips 42 and 43.

Since the rise-fall cam 130 is secured to the same shaft 109 as the ticket feed rollers 24, this single revolution of the shaft 109 also turns this rise-fall cam 130 through one complete revolution. The free end of the lower arm 123 of the bell crank lever 112, riding on the periphery of this rise-fall cam 130, is swung by the rotation of the cam 130 in a counter-clockwise direction against the bias of the leaf spring 115, which at this stage of the operation is resting upon the single high point of the cam 128. When the bell crank lever 112 has been swung a sufiicient distance counter-clockwise, i.e., from its solid line to its broken line position of FIG. 2, the pawl 120 on the bell crank lever is withdrawn from arresting engagement with the dog 124 on the release tube 125 of the torque-releasing clutch 127, which thereupon provides clutch, driving engagement between the constantly driven pulley 131 and the carriage crank 22. The latter thereupon, by means of the gearing 58, starts the carriage B upon its epicyclic path within the enclosing structure C.

It will be noted that the feeding of the ticket stock 23 begins with the engagement of the first torque-releasing clutch 102, while the rotation of the carriage crank 22 does not begin until the rise-fall cam 130 has rotated through a substantial portion of its single revolution of operation. This delay in the initiation of carriage rotation insures that the leading end of the ticket stock 23 will be fed into position beneath the wire clips 42 and 43 before the carriage B has been moved from its starting position, and that the required amount of ticket stock will be fed onto the platen 14 before the ticket blank 13 is severed therefrom by the shear blades 25 and 27.

During the first revolution of the crank 22 of each printing cycle of the mechanism A, the small gear 134 on the crank 22 drives the four-times larger gear 135, and the single high point cam 128 on the same shaft therewith, sufliciently to bring the leaf spring onto the low portion of the cam 128 before the crank 22 and the dog 124 which rotates therewith have completed one revolution. As the leaf spring 115 thus moves onto the low portion of the single high point cam 128, it allows the bell crank lever 112 to swing by gravity in a counterclockwise direction sufficiently to lower the pawl clear of the dog 124, thereby leaving the clutch 127 in its engaged, driving relation with the crank 22. Since, as mentioned previously herein, the ratio of the small gear 134 to that of the large gear 135 is four to one, the single high point of the cam 128 will thus not return to its leaf-spring-elevating position of FIG. 2 until the smaller gear 134, and the carriage crank 22 upon which it is mounted, have completed their required four revolutions of the printing cycle.

When this occurs, and the single high point cam 128 again raises the leaf spring 115 to swing the bell crank lever 112 clockwise to its solid line position of FIG. 2, thereby moving the pivoted pawl 120 into the rotative path of the clutch-releasing dog 124, the flatter is engaged by the pawl 120 upon the completion of its fourth revolution of the cycle. This engagement of the dog 124 by the pawl 120 exerts its clutch-releasing torque upon the clutch 127, and thereby releases the carriage crank 22 from its driven relation with the pulley 131.

At this point also, the anti-back-lash dog on the torque reflease tube 125, having also completed four revolutions, will be in its position of FIG. 2, with the spring urged pawd 137 engaged with the dog 140 to prevent c-ounter-rotation of this dog and the torque tub-e 125 upon which it is mounted.

The operations of the mechanism which are performed during the four epicycle, operative cycle of the mechanism A, are shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 10l7 and have been described previously herein preceding the detailed description of the mechanism itself. It will, therefore, be unnecessary to repeat such description in order to h ave a complete understanding of the invention.

The invention provides improved, high speed and accurate mechanism for printing a ticket or other item in successive stages and at successive stations, and wherein each of the printing stations is capable of performing an individual printing operation on the ticket.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, and data has been provided to permit varying the number of printing stations employed, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A mult-i-stage printing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure divided into a plurality of equal segments,

a plurality of work stations in selected ones of said segments, at least one of the stations being a printing station, a type face on each printing station facing inwardly and defining a cylindrical surface,

a platen carriage mounted within the enclosing structure for combined rotation about its own axis and for movement in an orbit co-axially to the axis of the cylindrical type-face-defined surface,

a cylindrically curved platen mounted co-axially on the carriage, the cylindrical surface defined by the platen being internally tangent to the cylindrical surface defined by the type faces, the surface defined by the platen being divisible into a plurality of segments equal in circumferential extent to, but one less in number than, those of the enclosing structure, the

I l platen being located in one such segment of the carriage,

means for retaining a sheet of printing stock on the platen, and

timed drive means for combined rotation of the carriage about its own axis, and for movement of the carriage from a selected starting point about the axis of the type-face-defined surface in a plurality of orbits equal to the number of segments in the carriage surface at a rate to roll the platen defined surface without relative slippage along successive segments of the type-face-defined surface.

2. A multi-stage printing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure divided into a plurality of equal segments,

a plurality of Work stations in selected ones of said segments, at least one of the stations being a printing station, a type face on each printing station facing inwardly and defining a cylindrical surface,

a platen carriage mounted within the enclosing structure for combined rotation about its own axis and for movement in an orbit co-axially to the axis of the cylindrical type-face-defined surface,

a cylindrically curved platen mounted co-axially on the carriage, the cylindrical surface defined by the platen being internally tangent to the cylindrical surface defined by the type faces, the surface defined by the platen being divisible into a plurality of segments equal in circumferential extent to, but one less in number than, those of the enclosing structure, the platen being located in one such segment of the carriage,

a cylindrically curved inking pad mounted co-axially on the carriage with its outer surface also tangent to the type-face-defined surface and in a carriage segment other than that in which the platen is located,

means for retaining a sheet of printing stock on the platen, and

timed drive means for combined rotation of the carriage about its own axis, and for movement of the carriage from a selected starting point about the axis of the typeface-defined surface in a plurality of orbits equal to the number of segments in the carriage surface at a rate to roll first the inking pad, and then the platen with a sheet of printing stock thereon, without relative slippage, in successive cycles along successive segments of the type-face-defined surface.

3. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

a frame,

a plurality of printing blank processing stations arranged in sequence along, and in equal segments of a closed path of known length along the frame,

a type face on each of the stations defining a surface common to all of the stations,

a carriage mounted for rotation about an axis,

a platen on the carriage curved co-axially to the axis of carriage rotation to define a curved surface, the platen being of a length along the curved surface defined thereby equal to the length of each of the station segments,

means for mounting a blank of printing stock on the pdaten, and

timed drive means for rotatively moving the carriage about its axis and for simultaneously moving the carriage in successive cycles aiong such path with the surface defined by the platen tangent to, and without slippage relative to, such common surface,

the length of such common surface being greater than that of the curved surface defined by the platen by an amount equal to the length of one of the station segments, the platen being so located as to register with successive stations upon each of a plurality of successive cycles of movement of the carriage along such path.

4. A muiti-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure,

a plurality of printing blank processing stations disposed one in each of a plurality of equal segments of the enclosing structure,

a type face on each of the printing stations directed inwardly and defining a surface common to all of the type faces,

a carriage mounted for combined rotation about its own axis and for movement in recurring orbits within the enclosing structure,

a platen on the carriage defining a surface curved coaxially to the axis of carriage rotation and internally tangent to such common surface,

means for retaining a printing blank on the platen,

means for driving the carriage rotatively about its axis,

and in successive cycles about its orbit within the enclosing structure without relative slippage of the platen defined surface to such common surface,

the length of the surface defined by the type faces being greater than that of the surface defined by the platen by an amount equal to the segmental length of one of the stations, the platen being so located as to register with successive ones of the stations upon each of a plurality of successive orbits of the carriage.

5. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure,

a plurality of printing blanks processing stations disposed one in each of a plurality of equal segments of the enclosing structure,

printing blank processing means in each of the stations, at least one of the stations being a printing station,

a type face on each of the printing stations directed inwardly and defining a surface which passes closely adjacent all of the stations,

a platen carriage mounted for combined rotation about its own axis and for movement in recurring orbits within the enclosing structure,

a platen on the carriage defining a surface curved coaxi-ally to the carriage axis and tangent to the surface defined by the type faces throughout each such orbit,

means in one of the stations for applying a printing blank to the platen,

means for driving the carriage rotatively about its axis and in successive orbits within the enclosing structure with the platen-defined surface internally tangent to, and without slippage relative to the surface defined by the type faces,

the circumference of the type face-defined surface being greater than that of the platen-defined surface by an amount equal to the segmental length of the portion of the type face defined surface in each segment of the enclosing structure, the platen being so located as to register with less than all of the stations upon each orbit of the carriage, and to register with successive ones of the stations upon each of a plurality of successive orbits of the carriage.

6. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure defining a cylindrical surface,

a plurality of printing blank processing stations provided one in each of a plurality of equal segments along the surface defined by the enclosing structure,

a carriage mounted within the surface defined by the enclosing structure for rotation about an axis,

a platen on the carriage curved co-axially to the axis of carriage rotation to define a cylindrical surface internally tangent to, and of smaller diameter than the surface defined by the enclosing structure,

the platen occupying a segment of the surface defined thereby of a length equal to that of one of the station segments along the surface defined by the enclosing structure,

means for retaining a printing blank on the platen,

means in each of the stations for processing a printing blank retained on the platen, and

ineans for driving the carriage rotatively about its axis of rotation and in successive orbits around the interior of the enclosing structure at a rate to roll the cylindrical surface defined by the platen in internally tangent relation to, and without relative slippage, along the surface defined by the enclosing structure, the ratio of the circumference of the cylindrical surface defined by the enclosing structure to that defined by the platen being such as to present the platen with a printing blank thereon to less than all of the stations upon each such orbit of the carriage, and to successive ones of the stations upon each of a plurality of succeeding orbits of the carriage.

7. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure divided into a known number of equal segments,

a plurality of printing blank processing stations provided one in each of such segments, the stations facing inwardly toward, and at equal radial distances from a central axis to define a generally cylindrical surface,

a carriage mounted within the enclosing structure for rotation about an axis which is parallel to and spaced from such central axis,

a platen on the carriage curved co-axially to the axis of carriage rotation to define a cylindrical surface of smaller diameter than that defined by the stations,

means for retaining a printing blank on the platen,

means in each of a plurality of said stations for processing a printing blank retained on the platen, and

timed drive means for moving the carriage rotatively about its own axis and in successive orbits within the enclosing structure, at a rate to roll the platen in internally tangent, non-slipping relation across less than all of the stations upon each such orbit of the carriage, and across successive ones of the stations upon each of a plurality of successive such orbits.

8. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure,

divided into a plurality of equal segments,

a plurality of stations arranged around the enclosing structure, each in one of such segments, all of the stations facing inwardly and with the inner faces thereof at equal distances from a central axis, to define a common cylindrical surface with the axis of such surface coincident with the central axis,

said stations including at least one printing station, a printing blank feeding station, and a printed blank discharge station,

a carriage mounted for rotative movement about an axis parallel to the central axis and movable in an orbit about the central axis within the enclosing structure,

a platen on the carriage curved co-axially to the carriage axis of rotative movement and of a radius to define a cylindrical surface internally tangent to the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations,

timed drive means for moving the carriage in successive orbits, and rotatively about its own axis at a rate to roll the platen without relative slippage along such common surface across less than all of the stations during each orbit of the carriage, and across successive ones of the stations during successive such orbits,

means in the feeding station for feeding a printing blank onto the platen prior to rolling the platen across a first printing station, and

means in the discharge station for discharging such blank from the platen after its rolling engagement with the last printing station.

1 3 9. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising:

an enclosing structure,

a plurality of stations mounted one in each of a plurality of equal segments of the enclosing structure, all of the stations facing inwardly and with their inner surfaces at equal distances from a central axis to define a common cylindrical surface,

one of the stations being a feeding station for printing blanks,

one of the stations being a blank discharge station,

at least one of the stations being a printing station,

a platen carriage mounted within the enclosing structure and rotatable about an axis parallel to the central axis, and spaced therefrom,

a segmental platen on the carriage curved to define a cylindrical surface having an axis of curvature coincident with the axis of carriage rotation and internally tangent to the common surface defined by the inner faces of the stations, the surface defined by the platen being of a circumference less than that of the common cylindrical surface by an amount equal to the circumferential length of one station segment along the common surface defined by the stations, and

means for driving the carriage rotatively about its axis and in recurring orbits within the enclosing structure to thereby roll the platen in internally tangent relation and Without relative slippage along the common surface defined by the inner faces of the stations, and across successive ones of the stations in a plurality of successive such orbits.

10. A multi-stage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame a plurality of printing blank processing stations on the frame and arranged in substantially equal segmental portions, facing inwardly, around, and at equal radial distances from, a central axis,

an initial one of the stations being a printing blank feeding station,

at least one succeeding stat1on in a selected rotative direction being a printing station,

a terminal one of the stations in the same rotative direction being a printed blank discharge station,

a platen supporting carriage mounted for rotation about its own axis, and for orbital movement about such central axis with the carriage axis parallel to and spaced equally from such central axis during such orbital movement of the carriage,

an outwardly facing segmental platen on the carriage cylindrically curved co-axially to the carriage axis, and of a radius to be operatively engaged by each station when presented thereto during orbital movement of the carriage about such central axis,

the segmental platen being of a circumferential extent corresponding to that of each of the stations, and

planetary drive means operatively connected to drive the carriage in successive orbits about such central axis in the direction opposite to such selected rotative direction, and simultaneously to drive the carriage rotatively about its own axis in such selected rotative direction at a relative rate to roll the platen in substantially non-slipping relation across one of the stations as the carriage is driven through an initial orbit, and across each succeeding station in turn in said one rotative direction as the carriage is driven through each of a plurality of succeeding orbits.

11. A multi-stage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame a plurality of printing blank processing stations on the frame and arranged in substantially equal segmental portions, facing inwardly, around, and at equal radial distances from, a central axis,

an initial one of the stations being a printing blank feeding station,

at least one succeeding stat-ion in a selected rotative direction being a printing station,

a terminal one of the stations in the same rotative direction being a printed blank discharge station,

a platen supporting carriage mounted for rotative movement on its own axis, and for orbital movement about such central axis,

an outwardly facing segmental platen on the carriage cylindrically curved co-axially to the carriage axis and of a radius to be operatively engaged by each station when presented thereto during orbital movement of the carriage about such central axis,

the segmental platen being of a circumferential extent corresponding to that of each of the stations, and

drive means operatively connected to drive the carriage in successive orbits about such central axis and simultaneously to drive the carriage rotatively on its own axis at a relative rate to roll the platen in substantially non-slipping relation across one of the stations as the carriage is driven through a selected orbit, and across succeeding stations in turn as the carriage is driven through each of a plurality of succeeding orbits.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11 wherein an outwardly facing segmental inking member is mounted on the carriage with its outer face coincident with the cylindrical surface defined by the platen, and occupying a segment of such surface circumferentially offset from the platen and located to roll the inking member across each station in turn between successive times when the platen is rolled across each such station.

13. A multi-stage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame,

a plurality of printing blank processing stations on the frame arranged symmetrically around a central axis and facing inwardly, the inner faces of all of the stations being spaced at equal radial distances from such central axis to define a cylindrical surface with the axis thereof coincident with such central axis, each of the stations occupying a segment of equal circumferential extent with those of the other stations on the surface defined thereby,

one of the stations being a printing blank feeding station,

at least one of the stations being a printing station,

and one of the stations being a printed blank discharge station,

a carriage mounted within the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel to the central axis,

a segmental platen on the carriage facing outwardly and curved to define a cylindrical surface having its axis coincident with the axis of carriage rotation, the distance separating the axis of carriage rotation from the central axis, plus the radius of the surface defined by the platen, being equal to the radius of the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations to thereby locate the surface defined by the platen internally tangent to the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations,

the platen occupying a segment of the cylindrical surface defined thereby of a circumferential extent corresponding to that occupied by each printing station along the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations,

the circumference of the cylindrical surface defined by the inner faces of the stations being greater than the circumference of the cylindrical surface defined by the platen by an amount equal to the circumferential length of the segment occupied by one of the stations along the surface defined thereby, and

planetary drive means operatively connected to the carriage to rotate the latter about its own axis and simultaneously to move the carriage in a circular orbit around, and in axially parallel relation to, the

central axis at a rate to roll the surface defined by the platen without relative slippage along the surface defined by the inner faces of the stations, thereby presenting the platen to each station in succession upon each of a plurality of successive orbits of the carriage around the central axis.

14. A multi-stage printing blank processing mechanism comprising a frame,

a multiple of printing blank processing stations disposed in said frame mathematically defining a first cylindrical surface having a central axis,

one of said stations being a printing blank injection station,

another of said stations being a printed blank ejection station, and

the remainder of said stations being blank printing stations carrying type having type faces lying in said first cylindrical surface with the body of said type external thereto,

a carriage arranged in said frame internally of said first cylindrical surface and having a carriage axis and two segments having elements mathematically defining a second cylindrical surface about said carriage axis and internally tangent to the first cylindrical surface,

one of said segments being arranged to carry a printing blank, and

the other of said segments comprising type face inking means,

an epicyclic gear train having a driving gear centered at said central axis,

a driven gear coupled to said carriage axis and in mesh relation with the driving gear for driving the carriage, and

having a drive ratio n/(n1) where n is the number of said processing stations, and

means for driving said gear train whereby said carriage is orbited about the central axis within and with the second cylindrical surface in rolling contact with the first cylindrical surface to successively receive a printing blank from the blank injection station, to ink said type faces, to print said blank, and to eject said blank in (n1) orbits of the carriage about the central axis.

15. A multistage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame;

a multiple of printing blank handling stations disposed in said frame mathematically defining a first cylindrical surface having a central axis;

one of said stations being a printing blank injection station;

another of said stations being a printing blank ejection station, and

the remainder of said stations being printing blank printing station(s) carrying type having type faces lying in said cylindrical surface with the body of said type external thereto;

a carriage arranged in said frame internally of said cylindrical surface and having a carriage axis and two segments having elements mathematically defining a second cylindrical surface about said carriage axis;

one of said segments being arranged to carry a printing blank, and

the other of said segments being arranged to carry type face inking means;

an epicyclic gear train having a driving gear centered at said central axis;

a driven gear coupled to said carriage at the carriage axis for driving the carriage, and

having a drive ratio n/(n1) where n is the number of said printing blank handling stations, and

means for driving said gear train whereby said carriage is orbited hypocyclically within the first cy- 17 lindrical surface to pick up a printing blank, to successively ink said type faces and to print such printing blank and to eject said printing blank in (n] orbits of the carriage about the central axis.

16. A multistage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame;

a multiple of printing blank handling stations disposed in said frame mathematically defining a first cylindrical surface having a central axis;

one of said stations being a printing blank injection station;

another of said stations being a printing blank ejection station, and

the remainder of said stations being printing blank printing station(s) carrying type having type faces lying in said cylindrical surface with the body of said type external thereto;

a carriage arranged in said frame internally of said cylindrical surface and having a carriage axis and two segments having elements mathematically defining a second cylindrical surface about said carriage axis;

one of said segments being arranged to carry a printing blank and the other of said segments being arranged to carry type face inking means;

an epicyclic drive mechanism coupled to said carriage and having a drive ratio of n/ (n1) where n is the number of ticket blank handling stations whereby said carriage is orbited hypocylically within the first cylindrical surface to pick up a printing blank, to successively ink said type faces and to print such printing blank, and to eject such printing blank in (n1) orbits of the carriage about the central axis,

17. A multi-stage printing mechanism comprising:

a frame;

a multiple of printing blank handling stations disposed in said frame mathematically defining a first cylindrical surface having a central axis;

one of said stations being a printing blank injection station;

another of said stations being a printing blank ejection station, and

the remainder of said stations being printing blank printing station(s) carrying type having type faces lying in said cylindrical surface with the body of said type external thereto;

a carriage arranged in said frame internally of said cylindrical surface and having a carriage axis and two segments having elements mathematically defining a second cylindrical surface about said carriage axis;

one of said segments being arranged to carry a printing blank, and

the other of said segments being arranged to carry type face inking means;

a cycloidal drive mechanism having a driving element centered at said central axis,

a driven element coupled to said carriage at the carriage axis for driving the carriage, and

having a drive ratio n/(n-l) where n is the number of printing blank handling stations, and

means for driving the cycloidal drive mechanism Whereby the carriage is orbited cycloidally with respect to the first cylindrical surface to pick up a printing blank, to successively ink said type faces and to print such printing blank, and to eject such printing blank in (n-l) orbits of the carriage about the central axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,672 7/15 Trier 101270 1,316,099 9/19 McDaniel 101-212 1,621,678 3/27 Morse 10l53 X 2,910,936 11/59 Christoff et al. 10l93 2,915,968 12/59 Witt et al. 101--93 2,958,276 11/60 McLaughlin 10156 X FOREIGN PATENTS 436,995 10/35 Great Britain.

WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-STAGE PRINTING MECHANISM COMPRISING: AN ENCLOSING STRUCTURE DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF EQUAL SEGMENTS, A PLURALITY OF WORK STATIONS IN SELECTED ONES OF SAID SEGMENTS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE STATIONS BEING A PRINTING STATION A TYPE FACE ON EACH PRINTING STATION FACING INWARDLY AND DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL SURFACE, A PLATEN CARRIAGE MOUNTED WITHIN THE ENCLOSING STRUCTURE FOR COMBINED ROTATION ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS AND FOR MOVEMENT IN AN ORBIT CO-AXIALLY TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL TYPE-FACE-DEFINED SURFACE, A CYLINDRICALLY CURVED PLATEN MOUNTED CO-AXIALLY ON THE CARRIAGE, THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE DEFINED BY THE PLATEN BEING INTERNALLY TANGENT TO THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE DEFINED BY THE TYPE FACES, THE SURFACE DEFINED BY THE PLATEN BEING DIVISIBLE INTO A PLURALITY OF SEGMENTS EQUAL IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL EXTENT TO, BUT ONE LESS IN NUMBER THAN, THOSE OF THE ENCLOSING STRUCTURE, THE PLATEN BEING LOCATED IN ONE SUCH SEGMENT OF THE CARRIAGE, MEANS FOR RETAINING A SHEET OF PRINTING STOCK ON THE PLATEN, AND 